How did you detox your home & life for baby?

Lusitano8

I thought I was conscious of removing chemicals from my home. BPA free water bottle, minimal plastic Tupperware, low VOC paint, etc.  apparently I only reached the tip of the ice-burg!

I'm 9 weeks pregnant and committing to: buying all organic produce, getting a glass water bottle, using a zero VOC paint, find lead free dishes. I'm considering getting a whole home water filter and switching to non-toxic cleaners. 

What did you do to detoxify your home for baby? What did you prioritize if cost was an issue? Do you have any brands you trust? 

Thanks for your ideas and help! 

MrsFL2015

I started by replacing a product or two a week. I started with personal care products and food. I try to buy as much organic food as possible, but cost is sometimes a factor. I will buy some conventional fruits/veggie, but try to stay away from the dirty dozen. I'll sometimes by frozen organic veggies, like broccoli because it's less expensive. If I do have to buy something in a package, I generally go organic and GMO free. I figure if I'm going to eat something processed, it should have the least amount of chemicals possible. I buy my meat from Whole Foods because a lot of their meat comes from free range farms. It also has a good selection of organic meats. My local grocery store has organic meat, but it's a super small selection and half the time it looks like it's been sitting on the shelf for days. I use Dr. Bronners liquid Castile soap in the shower; I even lather it and use it to shave. You can also use this soap to wash your dishes, clean and even wash some fruits/veggies. It has many different uses. A big bottle cost between $15-$18 dollars depending on where you shop, but lasts a long time. You only need a few drops at a time. I use Tom's of Maine toothpaste and an Avalon Organics face wash( it's 70% organic). I use a shampoo/conditioner that is free of sulfites, parabens , etc. it isn't organic, but it doesn't have a lot of the harmful products the major drug store brands do. I use Method and Seventh Generation cleaning products. I've tried making my own, but I work and I dont always have the time. I do use vinegar often to disinfect. I diffuse essential oils to make my house smell good. . I haven't switched over to natural laundry stuff because of the cost. I'm only TTC and I think once I have kids, I'll make the switch with the laundry. I do occasionally still use Lysol to clean my house. I also have it handy in case of major sickness; like the stomach bug. It's probably just a mental thing, but if someone's puking, I need to clean the area with something strong to feel like it's really gone. I have a glass water bottle and try not to use plastic containers. I use regular tap water and I couldn't tell you if my dishes are lead free or not. It's a process and it takes time. Honestly, I'll probably never be 100% natural/organic, but if I can go this way with food, beauty products and the majority of my cleaning products, then I' ll feel pretty good. I tried to go all or nothing when I first started and it was overwhelming. Go slow and take your time.

goforthandmultiply

I would suggest eating mostly organic and avoiding the dirty dozen when buying conventional. You spend around 1/3 of your day in bed so my huband and I are saving to buy an organic wool mattress on wooden slated frame (heartfelt.com). You spend almost 24 hours in contact with fabric (clothing, bedding etc.) so we think good quality laundry soap is important. We use Seventh Generation. We're still ttc (cycle 2) but have made a lot of the changes prior due to personal sensitivities after detoxifying and also after doing much research and discovering the magnitude of toxins in our daily life. We have a big expensive list but we're starting with what has the most impact.

Blessings

MrsAlT68

I would definitely prioritize cleaning products! Method and seventh generation are good, Walgreens has its own brand now, I didn't like much of it though. I use the Honest co, online for a lot of stuff, and I would recommend making the ewg.com website your new best friend

stokesm21

We recently built our first home so buying new was a necessity anyways.  I am pretty committed but there are some products that just work so well that I haven't been able to give them up (like my stainless steel cleaner.  I have not yet found an eco-friendly option that works.  If anyone has, please let me know!)  Currently I use Method for most of my household cleaners.  Baby is on it's way but I can't afford to change out all my furniture. I'm hoping we've had the stuff long enough that it has done all the off-gassing that it needs to do.  However, everything from here on out will be chemical-free and as natural as possible.  Baby's nursery is no exception. You have to do a lot of research and searching. 

One of my crutches is cruelty-free as well.  Honest company is great but for me, while they say they are cruelty-free (and they are) the company that owns them is not.  So in the end my money is still going to animal cruelty (ie: testing)  It sucks, I want to like them but I just can't do it!  Haha!  

For shampoo and conditioner I usually use Giovanni which is USDA certified organic (100% vegetarian ingredients) and for body wash I used EO Essentials which is non-GMO, gluten-free, cruelty-free and contains no synthetic fragrances.  I am able to find both at my local Winners every single time so it's very affordable!  I do use plastic containers for myself, admittedly.  But I became a little more environmentally friendly by putting a stop to bagging my meat (to freeze) in Ziploc bags which just get thrown out.  So far, so good!   

My Mom bought me a massive bottle of laundry detergent when we moved in so I've been waiting for that to be done in order to buy some eco-friendly stuff.  Almost there!  In the city we have this really cool store that has an "Eco-bar" at the back for things like laundry detergent, shampoo etc.  You literally grab a jug and fill up! 

As another poster said, I will probably never be 100% organic, eco-friendly, cruelty & chemical free but I try my best to keep the bad crap out of my home.  

jayandaplus

I did what you're saying. My registry more than anything got detoxed. I think you just do what you can, and know that MILLIONS of babies turned out just fine growing up in a chemical-laden world. I find "natural" cleaners helped me, and I try using natural products when possible-- sulfate free shampoo, naturalish soaps, sensitive/natural detergent, natural dishwasher soap, etc. Sometimes it's too expensive, but sometimes it's not when there's a sale or if you shop around. Just know, whatever you do makes a difference so it's never "too little".

mnajib92

To repeat what others say,  I think natural cleaners are pretty important.  I make my own cleaners because it's so much cheaper. As for the "time involved" with mahjong cleaners,  it's much less than going to the store and searching for,  waiting in line for,  buying the bottle,  and the drive there and back.  My sister just uses vinegar and water.  I can't stand the smell so only use it occasionally.  The simpler the better.  You don't need all of those fancy essential oil bottles to make it smell good.  For my kitchen and bathroom I fill a bottle with water and put a few squirts of what I use as dish detergent.  For tough grime, particularly in the tub, straight up baking soda sprinkled on like Ajax works wonders.  For even more scrubbing power,  combine with table salt.  It doesn't need to be rock salt, sea salt, organic,  or pink salt. It's gong straight down the drain and salt is technically organic matter in its own state.  

I also bought a steam mop so I don't have to mop the floor with bleach, or any unknown harsh chemicals.  I wanted to be OK with my baby laying on my floor.  

I use diluted castile soap for baby wash.  

mnajib92

I also like arm and hammer deodorant.  I know it's by no means organic,  but it's aluminum and parades free.  I can actually understand the entire list of ingredients which is rare for cosmetics.  I tried natural deodorant but it's not strong enough for me. 

Bennetist

Our next project is having the HVAC ducts clean. I just noticed it was musty smelling when we turn the system on during cold days, and getting pollutants out of the air and future baby bear's lungs is important!

Bennetist

Easy Green Living was a great reference book that has ways to de-escalate every part of my home, down to mattress recommendations and cleaning solution recipes. That was very helpful when I started greening up my space.